{"id":1031,"date":"2019-08-05T14:48:08","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T18:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovatebuildingsolutions.com\/multi-unit-bathrooms\/?p=1031"},"modified":"2019-09-22T10:48:20","modified_gmt":"2019-09-22T14:48:20","slug":"eliminate-mold-apartment-single-family-rental-shower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovatebuildingsolutions.com\/multi-unit-bathrooms\/2019\/08\/eliminate-mold-apartment-single-family-rental-shower\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ideas to Get Rid of Mold in an Apartment or Single Family Rental Shower"},"content":{"rendered":"

Owning single family homes or multi-family apartment rentals or condos can be a profitable business. However, when you\u2019re hit with \u2018big headaches\u2019 like your tenant complaining about health issues due to (what they believe) is mold in your not very pretty (OK, if you\u2019re being honest, it\u2019s downright-disgusting) tile shower your profits may be headed south.<\/p>

Your tenant is demanding a solution. You\u2019re thinking, \u201cThis could get ugly.\u201d<\/p>

While you didn\u2019t get into the real estate investing to become a Junior Chemist (you haven\u2019t been trained to know the difference between mold and mildew), this isn\u2019t the type of problem you can (or should) sweep under the rug (or behind-the-wall in this case).<\/p>

You\u2019ve started doing what you always do in tough situations. You\u2019ve jumped on the Internet for answers. From what you could read (and learn) you think you have a mildew (not a mold) problem. You think your tenant\u2019s health issues are unrelated to your shower. However, you\u2019re asking, \u201cWhat if I\u2019m wrong? What type of exposure could I have?\u201d<\/p>

It\u2019s at this moment you hear your Dad\u2019s voice in the back of your head, \u201cBetter safe, than sorry.\u201d While you know to look for the tell-tale signs of mold growth like, musty smells, dark grout joints, spongy or damaged walls, you want to be sure you\u2019re not wrong in thinking its mildew, not mold.<\/p>

The question is what can you do? What should you do?<\/p>

In this article you\u2019ll find 5 ideas to help you not only with your current challenge, but how to keep mold from happening in the first place. If you\u2019d like to stop worrying about the BIG-M (that would be the mold word) you\u2019ll want to read this.<\/p>

Idea #1 to get rid of mold in an apartment or single-family rental shower \u2013 Buy a home mold test kit and\/or call out a mold abatement or restoration contractor <\/strong><\/h2>

Since you\u2019re not a Chemist, and if my gut is correct you likely don\u2019t play one on TV, you\u2019re going to need assistance figuring out if this is a surface mildew problem or deeper mold issue.<\/p>

The cheapest way to address this challenge is to buy a DIY Mold Test Kit. They range in price from $7.99 at Home Depot to a $129 with \u2018free shipping\u2019 (with that price tag, of course the shipping is \u2018free!).

\"Mold<\/p>

Of course, the $10 million question is, are these test kits accurate? If you read the article below (written by a company which does mold abatement) you\u2019re going to say no:<\/p>

10 Reasons Why Do It Yourself (DIY) Mold Test Kits Are Not Accurate<\/a><\/em><\/p>

On the other hand, if you read the following article (written by a company who supplies DIY test kits) you\u2019ll come to the opposite conclusion:<\/p>

Myths and Factors about Mold Test Kits<\/a><\/em><\/p>

While I\u2019m by no means smart enough to tell you I know which one is correct (although a few of my Chemical Engineering buddies at my alma-mater Carnegie-Mellon University could intelligently weigh-in on this), here\u2019s what I\u2019d recommend.<\/p>

First, I\u2019d buy a home mold test kit for your apartment rental. Second, I\u2019d call out a mold abatement contractor. Third, I\u2019d compare what you learned from the test kit and the contractor. Since you\u2019re dealing not only with potential property damage, but more importantly a tenant\u2019s health, it\u2019s better to be (as your Mom would tell you) safe than sorry.<\/p>

Idea #2 to get rid of mold in an apartment or single-family rental shower \u2013 Start at the \u2018bottom.\u2019 Get rid of your nasty shower pan <\/strong><\/h2>

The \u2018foundation\u2019 of your shower is the shower base. If you inherited a tile base built on a mortar which has dark, dingy and moldy joints\u2013 God knows what you\u2019ll find underneath the surface.<\/p>

In addition to the mold and bacteria problem your tenant can\u2019t avoid (because they HAVE TO step on the base), you also have a constant maintenance challenge. Since most tile shower pans have small mosaic tiles, grout joints are literally EVERYWHERE. The cleaning challenge is endless.<\/p>

If you want to eliminate this problem once and for all, but don\u2019t want to slap-in a cheap fiberglass base which gets yellow and dingy you\u2019re probably wondering what options you can turn to? Depending on your budget, I\u2019ve got 2 alternatives for you.<\/p>